Summary of the September 6, 2016 Storey County Commission Meeting

By Nicole Barde The agenda for this meeting can be found HERE, County Manager Pat Whitten’s summary can be found HERE and you can listen to this and other County Commission meetings HERE.

This meeting was short. There were few staff updates. As Chair of the Senior Center BOD I gave an update saying that we had found 3 good candidates for the position of Executive Director as well as having 3 people show interest in joining the board. Additionally, I reported that the “corrective action” that the Center was placed on by the Department of Aging is almost complete.

SIDENOTE: Unbeknownst to the Board at the time the State cut off funds to the Center in December of last year for lack of cooperation in conducting an audit. The corrective action was the result of the center failing that audit. When the board stepped in to manage the center in June and Virginia Nevin joined as interim Director the issues got cleaned up and the state funding was resumed. Many thanks to Virginia and Cherie Nevin for their tireless work on this.

A gentleman from the Water Conservancy Board gave an update on the domestic well issue and the recent meeting held in Carson City a few weeks ago. He explained that the issue started in Pahrump where they needed a “tool” to alleviate the issue of dropping water levels. The proposed solution got blown out of proportion to become a statewide issue. The proposal arose out of a desire to keep people in their homes by cutting off OUTSIDE use of water (landscaping, pools etc.) in the face of a severe water shortage and by limiting new wells to ½ acre feet. He said that the state would not go into a community and dictate these solutions but that the local governing authority would have an option or tool to use in the event that there are similar issues. He stated that Mark Twain and the Highlands may, or may not, be appropriate for this type of solution. Lastly he stated that only thru public meetings and Commission approvals would this type of solution be implemented. Austin Osborn, planning Manager also commented that the various water issues have all been outlined in the Master Plan and that the County would work closely with the communities to work the issues before the state stepped in.

Keith Lumos, Assistant District Attorney reported that the County is being sued by the people who applied for and were denied a medical marijuana dispensary license. There is a claim for damages.

Under Board comments County Commissioner and Board Chair Marshall McBride noted how busy the Labor Day week-end had been and how many political candidates participated in the parade and events.

County Manager Pat Whitten reported that the BDR for changing the V & T Rail Road Commission has been submitted. He also noted that just in today’s agenda alone there are 44 new businesses applying for first and second reading for business licenses.

Next came yet another work card appeal from a brothel worker. It was approved to be reinstated.

The Cartwright Road cape seal project was approved. Thanks to Jay Carmona for driving this on behalf of both Associations in the Highlands.

Under public comment Kris Thompson, TRI Employee, got up to laud the success of Tesla at TRI over the last 26 months. He noted that there was a great deal of activity and work being done and that there is an additional expansion of 3 million square feet. He thanked the Commission on behalf of TRI for helping to make all of this happen.

Pat Whitten agreed that the TRI partnership had been very successful and commented that he had read that a North Las Vegas official had said that they “wanted to be like Storey County” in working with businesses to rapidly get established in that region.